Iranian media says drone "successfully completed mission” in Arabian Sea

• A US stealth fighter shot down an Iranian drone that approached an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, marking the second maritime clash of the day following an Iranian attempt to seize a US-flagged tanker.
• Despite the escalation and conflicting reports—with Iran’s Tasnim agency claiming "contact was lost" after data transmission—the White House confirmed that nuclear talks between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials remain scheduled for Friday.

Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Tuesday that “contact was lost” with a drone operating in international waters.

The report adds that data from the drone was successfully transmitted to the IRGC before contact was lost.

The news come after a US fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier in the Middle East on Tuesday, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Tasnim, citing an “informed” source, said that authorities are “investigating the cause of the communication failure in the Arabian Sea.”

Drone downed

A US stealth fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached a US aircraft carrier while it was sailing in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, according to Washington, as renewed tensions overshadow plans for talks on Iran’s nuclear program.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that US envoy Steve Witkoff is still scheduled to hold talks with Iran later this week, despite the incident.

The drone’s downing marked the second confrontation between the two adversaries in Middle Eastern waters on Tuesday, following an attempt by Iranian forces to seize a US-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington and Tehran had agreed to hold talks after US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran, while Tehran warned it would retaliate with strikes on US ships and bases.

The United States carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last summer and deployed additional naval assets to the region following Tehran’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

The negotiations are scheduled for Friday, though Trump has refused to rule out military action. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, instructed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that a “suitable environment free of threats and unrealistic expectations” must be in place to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations.”